FEATURES

If you had to choose just two words todescribe Alsace, then “welcoming” and“prosperous”would be sure to come to mind.Without doubt one of the most beautiful regions inFrance, with its heritage and the charm of its landscape,this land of plenty also has a number of gastronomicriches making it a paradise for food lovers.Prodigiously diverse in its regions, from the plains to theridges of the Vosges, from valleys to Rhine forests, thevariety of produce offers food lovers a variety ofchanging and welcoming landscapes forming a mosaicof colours and flavours.

by Philippe Bidaine, picture by CRTA Zvardon Village de Niedermorschwihr

The popularity of rosé wine continues to
grow around the world. Recently published research predicts worldwide
consumption of pink table wine is set to rise by 17.68% by 2012, quite a bit
faster than white wine consumption which is expected to increase by 6.95% over
the same period with red up by 5.12%...

In Provence, food is above all the expression of an exceptional tradition, and the Mediterranean Sea is one of its finest jewels, providing quality fish, shellfish and seafood.

There is a Provence that smells of suntan oil. A few strokes out to sea and there is another Provence with the smell of salt and freshly caught fish. This is the Provence of fishermen on deep-sea trawlers and pointus, small traditional craft for coastal fishing. Every year, they bring back 4,500 tonnes of fish to the quaysides of Provence.

Saint-Rémy-de-Provence, Spring 2009. In this picture postcard France of luxurious farmhouses and gastronomic bistrots, a road surrounded by wild grass meanders through the chalky hills. Soon, an alleyway appears, lined with olive trees with young leaves that quiver under the caress of the wind. Welcome to Moulin du Calanquet, a family farm resuscitated by a thirtysomething brother and sister Anne and Gilles Brun. They did not want these 6,000 abandoned olive trees to die. So they rolled up their sleeves, making the sceptics smile as they worked under the silvery foliage.Saint-Rémy-de-Provence, Spring 2009. In this picture postcard France of luxurious farmhouses and gastronomic bistrots, a road surrounded by wild grass meanders through the chalky hills. Soon, an alleyway appears, lined with olive trees with young leaves that quiver under the caress of the wind. Welcome to Moulin du Calanquet, a family farm resuscitated by a thirtysomething brother and sister, Anne and Gilles Brun. They did not want these 6,000 abandoned olive trees to die. So they rolled up their sleeves, making the sceptics smile as they worked under the silvery foliage...